Fattoush Salad with Shawarma-Spiced Chicken
A crisp and refreshing Middle Eastern salad full of fresh veggies and crunchy pita chips tossed in a bright lemon sumac vinaigrette, topped with grilled chicken flavored with warm shawarma spices.
Servings: 4 to 6 (as a main course)
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 ¼ lbs chicken breast (about 2 large breasts)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- 4 teaspoon shawarma spice blend (store bought or recipe below)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
For the pita chips
- 2 pieces pita bread*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- kosher salt & pepper, to taste
For the dressing
- 6 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 teaspoon sumac**
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
For the salad
- 2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- ½ medium red onion, halved & thinly sliced
- 1 large English (or seedless or hothouse) cucumber, chopped
- 1 cup radishes, sliced
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sumac**
Instructions
For the chicken
- Lay the chicken on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness of about ½ to ¾ in. thick. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and shawarma seasoning.
- Add olive oil, vinegar and chicken to a zip top bag, press out as much air as possible and seal. Turn the bag to coat and massage the marinade into chicken, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add chicken to pan and cook until deeply browned on the outside and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes per side.
For the pita chips
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Cut around the perimeter of the pita bread and separate each piece into 2 rounds. (If you're able to find the super thin Lebanese-style pita bread, I prefer to skip this step and leave the halves of the pita together.) Cut pita rounds into 1 inch squares.
- Toss pita pieces with olive oil, salt & pepper and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until deeply golden brown and crisp, flipping halfway through the cooking time, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
For the dressing
- Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously to combine, or combine in a medium bowl and whisk well.
For the salad
- Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle over dressing, add pita chips and toss to coat. Top with cooked chicken and serve immediately.
Notes
*There are lots of different types of pita bread and most will work for making these pita chips, but it may take little longer to toast up depending on how thick your pita bread is. I have used the paper thin Lebanese-style pita bread (like this) and the thicker pocket pita (like this) and I like them both. The only change I make is that if I use the thicker pita bread I cut around the perimeter of the pita bread and separate each piece into 2 rounds, and if I use the thinner pita bread I leave the halves together.
**Sumac is a common Middle Eastern spice, it has a fruity, tart & somewhat lemony flavor - it's a distinct and essential flavor in fattoush salad!